Arcane Winds and DragonFire
by cuboneskull
Summary: Far after the Bane of Kings was banished from Nirn and the Empire of the second Aldmeri Dominion fell, Tamriel was left in disarray. Each nation locked in internal turmoil. Now the tale of a young man begins, deep in the forests that now encompass the virtually abandoned country of Valenwood.


**Authors note: I Hope you guys enjoy this fic- I do plan on adding other characters to this fic if it gets going. Constructive criticism and such is much appreciated.**

Prologue

No one understood the true consequences of what their attempts might cause, greed is such a subtle thing whether it be for something as mundane as fame and fortune or to understand the true inner workings of our lives. So many believed that this discovery would lead to something so much greater, something that may help or even revolutionise modern day society. But nothing could have prepared them for the true terror they were about to unleash on the world. The evil that lurked within those walls was hidden away for a reason, to be left there never to be disturbed, locked in an eternal slumber. But alas that could not be done, the ancients had warned us, but in our ignorance we did not see an enemy that we could not best but a challenge for the brightest and most talented of the era. They entered the chamber expecting vast riches and wealth beyond their wildest imaginations or even a form of technology built and lost by the ancients during their time in the world but as the massive steel grating creaked shut behind them, there lives would never end, but nor would they continue in freedom.

Chapter 1

Descending Dawn broke on a new day upon the small shack deep in the Sarenay Forest, a young man awoke to the distant chirps of of the birds and the warm greeting of the suns rays bursting through his window. As quickly as he had awoken he was packing his satchel and placing his arrows into its quiver for a hunt. Years had passed since he had come into contact with any real form of civilisation. The closest he had come within this time is the occasional adventurer, traveler or courier. The last news he had heard was that of a war spreading in the east, an invading force on course for the demolition of neighbouring countries or territories. Fortunately the war had seemed to have been abandoned or at least died down as it was believed it could have spread as far west as the Great Civilisations, only those of extremely previledged upbringings can glance their inner walls. The shrewdest of diplomats and politicians gather in the large expanses that make up the debate halls. Those inside rarely leave the luxurious estates they call home, constantly adorned with only the most exotic and expensive cloths and furnishings, the war had caused uproar between some of the more distinguished lordships in Revelan, dividing some of the closest alliances between Holds. The man's name was Kilan, he had not been born in the forest but within a small village to the north-west, settled on the border of the territories that were occupied by the enemy, in an area that had been one of the first to be ravaged by the war. His father had sent him east with a small band of merchants on a journey to sell their wares to passing soldiers and mercenaries that had been sent to fight in the war. No one knew much about the enemy except that they had been occupying the western lands that were thought to be so barren and desolate that none but strongest or fool-hardy dared to enter. Kilan had been raised by the merchants and had travelled with the group for years. But on a path bordering on the Sarenay Forest they were ambushed by a particularly large group of bandits who were renown for their assaults on trading caravans and merchants. He fled the assault and the site of the attack at the request of the merchants of which the majority had fallen in the initial onslaught. This is the basis on which Kilan has remained here, as he stumbled amongst the roots and bushes of the surrounding forest he came across this cabin, as though a beacon of light for his troubles and strife, the cabin had long since been picked clean by scavengers but the cabin itself seemed a basic wonder, for the forest was known for its ferocious weather and unrelenting storms but yet here stood a cabin in the most unlikely of places, right where he needed it, for he or she that may have dwelled here before must have been a carpenter of insurmountable quality but he was yet to find any sign, albeit apart from the curious existence of this cabin that it had seen any past dwelling. Kilan had remained in the woods for what must have months warning and trading with what little he had to the passing caravans, while asking of any word or rumour of the bandits or war that were both such a blight on the land. Kilan had spent this time not dwelling on his failures but hunting those that had cost him so dearly and this day he -had awoken with focus in his eyes and fire in his stomach knowing that he was about to exact revenge on one those responsible for the deaths he had seen as family for such a long time, for although he had no relation nor bore any kinship with the merchants that had been murdered in cold-blood, he saw them as no less than his family for they had raised him, fed him, gave him shelter when he needed it most for no more reason than a dying man's wish. As he walked down the heavily eroded path he thought of the numbers that he may face within forest for he had never ventured this deep in before, he knew that the men he was looking for were further into the forest but knew not why or their exact location but as he ventured deeper he noticed the glinting sunlight past the trees in front and as he edged ever closer he peeked through into a clearing where dozens of the scum dwelled. The clearing resembled a work ground or an excavation site for there was in the centre of the clearing a set of pillars within the ground the likes of which he had never witnessed before and suddenly he felt a sharp crack across the back of his head as he caught a glimpse of a man towering over him. The Cursed Kilan awoke late into the night bound and gagged, to the base of a oak tree, groggy although he was,he managed to remain conscious to overhear a conversation between two of the bandits,

"do you even know what we're doing here?"

"I'm just as clueless about it as you are"

"I overheard the boss on about somein' in the mine"

"Well I assume there would be something in the mine wouldn't there? Hence the whole idea of a mine jackass!"

"Nice, nevermind, i'm going inside, watch the prisoner and make sure you don't screw it up like when we in Vasren."

"You've got no right mentioning Vasren, it was an accident and you know full well it wasn't my fault."

"Oh right, of course it wasn't your fault, the gate left itself open and just happened to be when I was trying to escape."

"Hey, I got you out of there in the end, didn't I?"

At this point Kilan had fully awoken, hands bound behind his back blood seeping slowly from his temple.

"Someone had a nice little nap didn't they? weren't packing much were you? could've gotten yourself killed with that little stunt back there, I know exactly why you're here by the way, you want that dirty rotten piece of scum dead as much as I do but you see me and my... No friends too strong a word... Accomplice been planning this for months see? get in his good graces, act stupid and well generally do what most bandits do, within reason that is. Anyway sorry about your head but you could've blown our cover."

Dazed and confused at what the man just said, Kilan stumbled to his feet covered in blood not entirely his own when he had just realised that there was a lot more people around when he had been attacked.

"We ain't got much time mate, if you fancy givin' an hand you're more 'en welcome to. Your stuffs over 'ere."

Kilan clambered to his feet, trying to make sense of situation. He knew he couldn't trust these men but nor could he expect to survive a solo assault. After all, he didn't plan on coming out alive.

"We'll keep all quiet like and if we can take out a couple o' guards I fancy our chances"

"Ignore my colleague, he isn't exactly the brains of the operation but he's skilled enough with a blade and dedicated to the end. What we do is wait until nightfall, thats when the shifts will change and we take the uniforms of the unfortunate fellows we had to deal with."


End file.
